


Of All The Stars Aligned

by dancingassassin



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Author Jesse McCree, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Romance, Science, Scientist Hanzo Shimada, characters with anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 13:58:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15775509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancingassassin/pseuds/dancingassassin
Summary: Jesse McCree is an established author of westerns, but is about to undertake a new project - a science fiction novel. His editor, Satya, gives him a month to get his outline together because she anticipates he will need to do more research than he is used to.She's right.Jesse wants to get the science right, he doesn't want to be one of those authors that scientists scoff at for getting everything wrong. That leads him to emailing observatories with an odd request: for a scientist to teach him about science.(title taken from the song Telescope by Starset)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my McHanzo reverse bang piece! I worked with the lovely [sunshinemage](http://sunshinemage.tumblr.com/) on this! Their idea was my absolute favorite out of all the pitches and I'm delighted to have gotten the chance to work with them <3
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> [And here's the pretty art that sunshinemage did that goes with the story!](http://sunshinemage.tumblr.com/post/177317921957/of-all-the-stars-aligned-rating-teen-and-up-to)

Jesse McCree leaned back in his chair while he stretched. There was something about the air conditioning in Satya’s office that just made everything in his shoulders and back get tight and uncomfortable. Or maybe it was the chairs. Or the fact that maybe he was a little nervous to be pitching a completely new direction for his writing career. He was already well-established in writing westerns, he supposed he could see why his editor (and friend) was a bit concerned.

But Jesse was willing to worry everyone a bit. All he wanted to do was explore new stories. If he wound up sucking at writing science fiction, they wouldn’t publish it. He was of the mind that it didn’t hurt to try.

It didn’t help that he’d always wanted to try his hand at writing science fiction.

“Well...I suppose you are correct, Jesse.” Satya tilted her head to the side, which sent her ink black hair cascading over one shoulder. “There is no harm in attempting something new.”

There was something both terrifying and validating in Satya agreeing that exploring a new genre was a good idea. Jesse really wanted to, but there was still part of him that was expecting her to shoot him down and keep him in his comfort zone. Maybe there was even part of him that  _ hoped _ she would do something like that. 

While Jesse wasn’t a stranger to taking chances there was still a minority of his mind that was utterly petrified of change. He’d always been that way, especially before he left Deadlock. He liked to think he’d gotten better about it over the years, but deep down he knew that he’d only gotten  _ a little _ better in that respect.

“Glad you agree, Satya.” Jesse leaned back in his chair and let a smirk spread across his face. It was a façade of confidence and one that he wore often enough that he almost believed it himself. Judging by the fact that Satya rolled her eyes, she didn’t exactly believe it. “I mean...I just turned in a draft for you, so I might as well work on something new, right?”

“I see no reason why you can’t experiment.” Satya nodded her agreement. “And while your pitch is detailed and sound, I believe it would be prudent to start with an outline. That way I have an idea of what direction you’re taking this experiment.”

Jesse knew the other reason for an outline versus a rough draft was that Satya didn’t want him to get five chapters in and realize he didn’t like the idea, or to write himself into a corner. Part of him wanted to deny that those were possibilities, but he knew  _ both _ of those had happened before. And he anticipated Satya wanting him to outline so he had already started.  _ I have to wonder how she’s going to handle a western in space... _

“Sounds good to me, Satya. When do you want the outline by?” Jesse leaned back in his chair and balanced it on two legs. “You know I work fast.”

Satya pursed her lips before looking through her appointment book. “Four weeks from today seems fair. I imagine you’re going to need to research more than usual.”

Jesse felt indignance flare up at the idea of him needing so long to outline the book - until the word ‘research’ was said. He really would need to do more research than usual, it wasn’t like Jesse was particularly knowledgeable about space or anything like that. He huffed, which very nearly sent him sprawling off the chair. Somehow, he managed to catch his balance. He’d tell himself it was total skill, but deep down he knew it was dumb luck.

“Sounds good to me!” Jesse grinned and flashed a thumbs up. 

A month was plenty of time to make an outline, even with research. At least in Jesse’s mind. Satya went over a few more things, how sales on other books were doing, what she thought upcoming trends might be. Boring, but important things. With all that done, the two parted ways and Jesse was left to his own devices. 

He made his way home to the condo he shared with his non-blood relative sister Fareeha. Jesse could afford it on his own, but it was nice to have a roommate. Fareeha kept him from skipping meals when he got too far into the writing zone. Few people believed Jesse when he said he skipped meals when too into writing - they said he loved food too much for that sort of thing. Fareeha had been on of those people. She believed him now.

Jesse walked into the condo and exhaled softly. All the lights were out, it was the middle of the day. Fareeha wasn’t home. He wanted to gush about his new book idea and use her as a sounding board, but that would have to wait until later. Plus, Jesse could get a headstart on on outlining and research. He knew it probably wasn’t a good choice to view things as a contest or a challenge, but the month certainly felt like a challenge.

Jesse hummed to himself as he bustled around the kitchen. Coffee, maybe a small snack, then he’d settle in for some good old fashioned research. he had ideas for what he wanted to include, though he didn’t know what that meant in terms of science. He’d figure that out as he went along.

Once he had his beverage and snack he settled in at his desktop. Jesse used to use a laptop, but Fareeha started digging into him about ergonomics and how ‘sitting like a praying mantis’ wasn’t good for the body. Admittedly, he really liked the desktop. And he still used a tablet or laptop when traveling. Plus, when he used a desktop he didn’t wind up with burnt thighs when he did long writing sessions.

He sipped at his coffee and started looking up astronomy and what he might want to include in the novel. Somehow Jesse didn’t realize the sheer amount of information that would be thrown at him despite being very aware that there would be tons of information. That, and while he was able to parse through all the information, it was slow going. the articles weren’t really written for people without a high degree of scientific knowledge, which only pulled Jesse out of his research even more. On top of that, apparently not all scientists were good writers. Jesse had to admit that some of them were pleasantly good, though. They were nice breaths of fresh air.

“I’m home, Jess!” Fareeha called as the front door slammed behind her. “Let me guess, you’re in front of your computer with a cold cup of coffee and forgotten snacks.”

Jesse was about to open his mouth to refute her, but glanced down at his desk and blanched. His coffee was basically untouched. His snacks were all but abandoned. He grumbled and shifted in his chair. “Maybe.”

“Have you taken a break recently?” Fareeha set her hand on his shoulder. “You’re really bad about taking breaks.”

Jesse scowled up at her and reached for his cup of coffee and took a long swig.  _ Ugh...it’s gross when cold. _

“I take it that means no.” Fareeha snickered. “Real predictable, Jesse.”

“I’d’ve taken a break if I could make any damn sense of these articles.” His southern accent was coming out in full force. “I wound up fallin’ down the rabbit hole an’ now I’m even more confused.”

Jesse didn’t particularly appreciate feeling stupid. Because he knew he wasn’t stupid. He knew he was plenty smart. People just thought he was a bit dim because of his accent and the fact that he didn’t have traditional schooling.

“Oof, these are terribly written.” Fareeha was hanging over his shoulder now and Jesse could practically hear the confusion dripping from her voice. “Wait...why in the name of  _ anything _ are you researching black hole theory?”

Jesse felt the excitement about sharing his new project with his surrogate sister bubbling up again. Even if he was irritated with the research process, he was still excited about his new project and story.

“So, guess what, Reeha?” Jesse grinned and leaned back in his chair hard enough that it gave a threatening creak. “I’ve got a new project.”

“A new project. That deals with black hole theory.” Fareeha deadpanned. “Jesse, you write  _ westerns. _ ”

“Yup. I’m branching out into science fiction. Gonna write a space western.”

Jesse rolled over to another portion of his large T shaped desk and grabbed a copy of the proposal to show to Fareeha. It wasn’t like this was a spontaneous idea, Jesse had been thinking about it for some time now. He had good ideas on how he wanted the story to flow as well.

“Damn, you’ve got this really planned out, Jess.” Fareeha tilted her head as she looked through the proposal. “You’ve been thinking about this for awhile.”

“Yup!” Been wantin’ to write about travelin’ the stars for awhile, jus’ couldn’t find the right timin’.” Jesse was all proud smiles and very nearly had his chest puffed out. “But with my last one goin’ in for edits an’ it having been the last in that series...this felt like the right time. So I pitched it to Satya today.”

Jesse took a lot of pride in his writing career - he’d come a long way since his Deadlock days. It was especially nice because so many people told him writing couldn't’ be a career, yet here he was excelling in it. He was able to support himself and more. That was way more than what he could ask for.

“I’m glad you’re trying a new genre.” Fareeha handed the pitch back to Jesse and leaned against his desk. “Black hole theory, though?”

“For wormhole travel and stuff.” Jesse huffed.

There were a few moments of silence as they went back to looking through the articles. Jesse still couldn’t understand some of it. It was especially difficult to make progress when he was editing sentences in his head so they’d make more sense.

“Oh, this one is really well written.” Fareeha leaned and pointed to one of the articles on Jesse’s screen. “But has a lot of math in it.” 

Jesse had taken notice of that one as well. He’d been avoiding going through it because of how thick the science babble was. And he didn’t understand the math. There was a lot of Greek in the math.

“Yeah...uh...Dr. H. Shimada is a great writer, but there are more symbols than numbers in the math.” Jesse shook his head and shrugged. “I can’t make heads or tails of it. You know I suck at math.”

“What’s the squiggly bit mean?” Fareeha tilted her head.

Jesse snorted back a laugh and shrugged. “Hell if I know. Maybe it means if I wiggle my fingers at the equation it’ll solve itself.”

He was beginning to think he needed an expert to better understand everything. Jesse wasn’t a scientist and he wanted to get the science as right as possible. It was a pet peeve of his that writers just ignored laws of physics and other things like that. If he was going to write science fiction, he wanted to do it correctly. And he was starting to realize he couldn’t do that on his own just from reading articles. Jesse needed help. He just wasn’t sure  _ how _ he was going to get help.

“If math was that easy, you’d have gotten an A, cowboy.” Fareeha nudged him with a grin. “Maybe hearing someone else explain everything will make it easier to understand?”

That wasn’t a bad idea in the least. There wasn’t any shame in getting a tutor of sorts, that’s how Jesse did his studying for his GED. He’d needed a bit of help when it came to math and a couple other subjects. He’d just needed to hear everything from someone else. He didn’t see why this information was any different than that.

“What, should I just start calling up astrophysicists?” Jesse deadpanned.

There was another moment of silence followed by raucous laughter.

“Well, I’d look up observatories.” Fareeha shrugged. “Seems logical to me.”

_ Yeah, that’s definitely more logical. _ Jesse should have been able to figure that out on his own, but somehow he hadn’t been able to put two and two together. He kept the articles pulled up just in case he felt like taking another peek, but then opened a new tab:  _ observatories near me. _ Some were big commercial ones; and while Jesse was certain they were knowledgeable, he didn’t want the mass produced answers. There were a handful of privately owned ones, though. Most weren’t anywhere near close, but one was only a half hour away.

“Dragonstrike Observatory?” Jesse quirked a brow up as he glanced over the letter again just to make sure he read them correctly the first time. He did, the name was just weird.  _ Memorable, though. _ “What kind of name is that?”

Fareeha burst into laughter. “It’s the type of name you’d use, Jesse. Don’t even deny that you’d use a name like ‘high noon’ something or other if you got to name something like an observatory.”

Jesse didn’t want to admit that Fareeha was right, but she was. He suspected the whole reason the observatory caught his attention was because the naming convention was close to his own. That and the relative closeness.

“Hush you.” Jesse grumbled as he copy/pasted the email address into his email client. “Guess I’ll shoot them an email and see what happens.”

 

> **Subject:** a research proposal
> 
> **To:** info@dragonstrikeobservatory.org
> 
> **From:** high.noon.mccree@cowboybooks.com
> 
> **Message:**
> 
> Dear Dragonstrike Observatory,
> 
> My name is Jesse McCree, I’m an established author of westerns who is branching out into sci-fi. Thing is, if I’m trying a new genre, I want to be sure I’m doing it right. For sci-fi that means grounding the story technology in existing science. My proposal is that I come and visit your observatory to talk sci-fi, astronomy, and physics with you. I’d love to get an expert’s insight. I am aware your time is likely limited and quite valuable, so I will pay you for your time as well. We can discuss appropriate compensation if you find the arrangement amenable. If you wind up disliking the experience, I won’t bother you again.
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read through this email and I look forward to your response.
> 
> Best,   
>  Jesse McCree

 

He looked over the email a few more times and hit send before he could convince himself that everything would blow up in his face. 

Now Jesse just had to wait to see if the observatory got back to him.

* * *

  
  


Hanzo Shimada grunted as he felt pressure on his shoulder, but didn’t open his eyes. He was  _ tired _ . He was entitled to his tiredness, he’d been up late working the previous night. Or that morning. It really depended on what side of the coin you looked at. The pressure on his shoulder increased and started jostling him around. Hanzo grumbled and tucked his head down even further.

“Anija. Wake up.”

Hanzo scowled from behind his arms. Genji. His younger brother was trying to awaken him. Genji knew better. They’d done this same song and dance over the last thirty-five years, it wasn’t about to change.

“No.” He tried to roll over and jolted so hard at the crash that followed that he nearly fell off of his desk chair.

Desk chair.

Hanzo’s eyes snapped opened as he regained his balance. His mind was still muddled with sleep, but his was aware enough to realize he’d fallen asleep at his desk. Again. Whatever, these things happened. At least he managed to get some sleep, that was better than some days.

His shoulders were aching from sleeping on his desk, but he didn’t really care. Hanzo stood up from his chair and stretched languidly. His joints clunked as he kept stretching and he yawned. He was slowly waking up.

“You with me now?” Genji sounded more than a little amused. “You’d think you’d grow out of falling asleep while working after graduating, Hanzo.”

Hanzo stared at his brother for several long seconds and then flipped him off. He could make several excuses about how it was different when he worked late at night and watched the stars and all that, but he knew Genji wouldn’t believe any of them. He knew that Genji would make plenty of points that proved exactly why Hanzo should have grown out of that stage of his life.

The biggest one would be the workaholic tendencies that Hanzo was well aware of and usually had under better control.

“Yeah, I’m with you.” Hanzo snorted at his brother before continuing his stretching. His shoulders really were so tense and uncomfortable from how he’d slept. He could hear Genji calling out his age as a reason why his shoulders were tight and angry - which only made Hanzo  _ not _ want to mention his joints being achy and upset.

“Good! Glad to hear it, anija.” Genji snickered as he sat down at one of the other chairs and plunked down three drinks from a nearby coffee shop. “Here, does this help? Soy chai latte with a caffeine pack in it.”

Hanzo stared at the coffee cup with bleary eyes and grumbled. Of course Genji was trying to buy a temporary visa in the form of delicious caffeine.  _ Little shit knew I would be asleep _ . He wanted to say no out of principle, but his brain was still foggy and unfortunately his brother knew his tastes so well. And Hanzo  _ needed _ that caffeine boost.  _ Damn it. _

“Fine. You can stay, but only because you brought me a chai latte.” Hanzo huffed and snatched it away. “Why are there three drinks?”

The answer came a moment later when Lucio walked in.

Oh.

His lab assistant was already in. Why was his lab assistant already in? Hanzo pulled his phone out and blanched.  _ That’s _ why his lab assistant was already in. Hanzo had slept through all his alarms. It was past 10am.

Oops.

“Because Lucio deserves a prize for dealing with your grumpy ass.” Genji snickered. “And because I ran into him at the coffee shop and decided to pay for his drink.”

That made a bit more sense than Genji randomly buying an extra drink. Maybe Hanzo was still too tired to really tell. 

“Good morning, Lucio. Apologies for my unprofessional appearance.” Hanzo scratched the back of his neck and had trouble meeting Lucio’s eyes. “I will have breakfast with my brother, take a shower, and then will be with you. If you could start sifting through the observatory’s emails, that would be much appreciated.”

Hanzo was using what Genji called the ‘Shimada heir voice,’ but a bit softer than back in Hanamura. It was odd to use it again, but he defaulted to it in awkward situations. And when giving instructions. It just made things a tiny bit easier, even if using anything that the elders taught him left an unpleasant taste in his mouth. 

“Not a problem!” Lucio gave a mock salute. “You two have a nice breakfast, I’ll letcha know if I find anything interesting in the inbox.”

Hanzo offered a smile and nodded. Once Lucio was settled in and working, Hanzo exhaled. “I can’t believe I let myself oversleep long enough that Lucio got in…” He took a long sip of his caffeine-heavy drink and shook his head.

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Genji hummed as he opened a bag of donuts. “Lucio knows you’re married to the job. If you’re worried about him thinking you’re unprofessional, let it go. He just knows you’re extra dedicated.”

Hanzo made a face at the comments and reached for one of the donuts - a long john, hopefully a cream filled one. He bit into and grinned - it  _ was _ cream filled.

“I know. I still get worried about my image.” Hanzo sighed as he chowed down.

It was definitely a case of ‘old habits die hard.’ Growing up as the heir to a prolific yakuza organization meant that eyes were always on Hanzo and that there were extremely high standards in place. People had watched for any misstep, anything that might show weakness. Any step out of line was punished severely because it might bring dishonor upon the Shimada. Hanzo had gotten used to projecting a perfect image, it was something he still did even though he and Genji left the Shimada years ago.

“I know.” Genji responded with a sad smile. “It’s my job to remind you to let loose, remember?”

Hanzo was pretty grateful that Genji was so persistent and infinitely patient - especially since the elders very nearly convinced Hanzo to  _ kill _ Genji. It helped make sure he didn’t get so in his head. And it was helping him recover from everything they went through in their childhood and adolescence.

But because Genji mentioned letting loose, Hanzo grabbed his phone again and opened one of his mobile games -  _ Fate/Grand Order _ . It was a childish habit, but he wasn’t about to give it up just because he was a ‘real adult’ now. Thankfully, Genji didn’t give him shit about it.  _ Genji _ played as well. It wouldn’t be fair if Genji gave him crap.

“Really? First thing in the morning?” Genji teased.

Hanzo scowled at his brother before taking another sip of his chai. “It’ll help me wake up. Not like you can say anything. It says you logged in three hours ago.” Which, to Hanzo, sounded like ‘first thing in the morning.’

“I’m just teasing you.” Genji laughed and pulled out his own phone. “I’m surprised that you were working rather than grinding the event, anija.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes. “I already started. Like I’d miss out on the event when they  _ finally _ added male characters in swimsuits.”

They’d been waiting for years for there to be male characters included in the summer gacha and event, Hanzo wasn’t going to miss out. And honestly, he had been working on the event  _ a little _ while he was working. Then he’d gotten entirely caught up in work and ignored his phone for the rest of the night. He was more than a little surprised that his phone was still  _ alive _ after idling in game most of the night.  _ Maybe I tossed it on the charger without realizing it…? _

“Other than overworking and being excited about swimsuit characters...how have you really been?”

That was a question that Hanzo didn’t particularly like answering, especially when his younger brother was the one asking the question. He knew it was just because Genji was worried, but he didn’t  _ like _ worrying his younger brother. The older sibling was supposed to look out for the younger, not vice versa. But to Hanzo it felt like Genji was often the one looking after him…

That and he didn’t like to admit how  _ lonely _ things were. Sure, Hanzo had a fulfilling job that he loved…

But he didn’t have much of a social life.

And his love life was  _ sad _ .

Hanzo didn’t want to admit that.

“I’ve been okay, Sparrow.” Hanzo responded with a soft smile. “Good enough.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t exactly a truth either. Genji looked skeptical, but seemed to accept Hanzo’s words at face value. He was grateful for that, he really didn’t want to explain his lack of social and romantic life.

“Hm...I think I’ll stop by more often.” Genji finally spoke after a few moments of the two of them just eating their breakfast.

Hanzo paused before taking a bite of his donut and quirked a brow up. It wasn’t uncommon for Genji to come and visit, the idea of him coming by more almost felt excessive. Almost. It wasn’t that he didn’t like when Genji visited, it was more that Hanzo felt bad that his younger brother felt  _ obligated _ to check in on him.  _ Isn’t the older brother supposed to look after the younger one…? _

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I don’t want to burden you…” Hanzo sipped at his drink and watched Genji’s face shift. “I’m happy to have you visit, but I know you have a life…”

And maybe, deep down, there was part of Hanzo that didn’t think he deserved to have Genji visiting him after everything that they went through back in Hanamura. While Hanzo hadn’t followed through with what the elders ordered him to do - he had  _ almost _ gone through with killing his younger brother. Hanzo hadn’t quite forgiven himself for  _ hurting _ Genji, even though years had passed since everything went down. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to fully forgive himself even though Genji had long since forgiven him.

“Don’t worry about that. I’m just making sure my older brother doesn’t fall asleep while working and break expensive telescope things.” Genji flashed a peace sign. 

Hanzo knew that wasn’t the actual reasoning, but he wasn’t going to press it. “If you insist.”

“I do.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes and went back to reading through the mobile game event and eating his breakfast. It didn’t take him long to finish his drink and a few donuts - he quietly excused himself to go take a shower. Genji assured him that he was going to stick around for a little bit longer. Hanzo took that to mean ‘I’m going to stick around and make sure you aren’t wallowing in depression.’

It was nice to have his home attached to the observatory - it made it so much easier to get to work ‘on time’ and to work late nights. Sure, it made Hanzo’s work/life balance a little sketchy at times, but it suited him just fine. His home was fairly modest given how he and Genji grew up, but it was  _ Hanzo’s _ . It was something that was just his. He was proud of what he’d managed on his own. 

Showering felt wonderful, especially after sleeping slumped over his desk most of the night. The hot water was massaging the terrible knots out of his shoulders and back; it just made him feel at ease. He exhaled softly and lingered in the steamy shower for quite a bit longer than he usually would. It was just one of  _ those _ days.

Eventually, he emerged and dressed. It still felt odd to be putting on  _ casual  _ clothes for  _ work _ , but Hanzo was starting to get used to it. He owned the observatory. He was the boss. He was allowed to make the decision that casual clothes were allowed. 

Plus, it was important to be comfortable when working. Hanzo was finding that he got more done when he was comfortable.

Hanzo trotted back out into the observatory proper and was greeted with the sight of Genji hanging around Lucio. The two were laughing and joking. He paused for a moment and just watched the two of them - it almost felt like he’d be interrupting them if he went in any further. Plus, it was nice to see Genji smiling like  _ that _ again. Like he had back when they were teenagers.

“Ah! Anija! C’mere, there’s something you’ve got to see.” Genji waved him over, his grin even brighter than before. 

Hanzo blinked back his surprise and walked over to where the two were camped out. Lucio was sitting in his desk chair in a way that was decidedly  _ not _ good for his back, but Hanzo wasn’t about to correct his posture. Genji was leaning over the back of the chair and damn near  _ beaming _ . 

“...what do you have to show me?”

Lucio gave a sheepish smile. “Well, I was going through the emails like you asked and most of it’s spam, like usual.” He paused and started clicking around through the inbox at a pace which was difficult to follow. “But uh...there’s an interesting request.”

The last time there was a request that fell under Genji and Lucio’s definition of ‘interesting,’ it was someone who wanted to use the observatory for their own personal date pad and was willing to pay a ‘fair’ rate to use it. The rate wasn’t in money. Hanzo hadn’t been amused. Needless to say, the person in question didn’t get to use the observatory.

“Genji--” Hanzo was about to remind his brother about that particular instance, but Genji interrupted him instead.

“I promise it’s different.” Genji held his hands up to show he meant no harm. “No weirdos offering oral sex as payment to use the observatory as a date destination.”

“Fine. What is the request?” Hanzo wasn’t exactly optimistic about what exactly the request was, but he was willing to hear Lucio and Genji out. 

Hanzo watched as Lucio pulled up the email in question - one from high.noon.mccree@cowboybooks.com. That alone was enough to make Hanzo raise an eyebrow - he couldn’t think of any reason that someone with  _ that _ email would need to use the observatory for any purpose. But he leaned in, squinting just a little, and read through the email.

_ He wants to learn about physics and astronomy because he’s a writer…? One who wants to branch into science fiction? _

That just seemed absolutely ridiculous. There was no way that Hanzo was going to take time out of his busy schedule to teach a random writer about science so he could write better--

“I think you should do it.” Genji announced.

“What.” Hanzo deadpanned as he stared at his younger brother. “What do you mean--”

“You always complain about how science fiction writers get ‘everything wrong,’ why not take the time to make sure this guy gets it right?”

Hanzo wanted to say that Genji was wrong, that he didn’t complain about writers getting actual science wrong, but he knew that Genji was  _ right _ . He did get mad about that, he complained about it incessantly, even during movies and books he  _ liked _ . And as much as Hanzo would say that he had a busy schedule, that he didn’t have time for things like this - he did have the time. He just didn’t want to be around people most of the time.

And this guy - Jesse McCree - was at least giving Hanzo an out if he wound up hating the interaction completely. That meant a lot to him, being able to get away if need be.

“...alright…” Hanzo sighed. “Forward that one to me so I can respond personally.”

Hanzo sauntered over to his computer and settled in so he could answer that email and do a few other administrative tasks before really getting to work. Once he was at his own computer, he read through the email again and nodded to himself. It made enough sense. It was good to do work like this, important even. 

> **Subject:** RE: a research proposal
> 
> **To:** high.noon.mccree@cowboybooks.com
> 
> **From:** DragonsGeometry@dragonstrikeobservatory.org
> 
> **Message:**
> 
> Mr. McCree,
> 
> Thank you very much for you interest in Dragonstrike Observatory. I will admit that your request is quite unique. Also, apologies for responding from a different email - but this is my private one. It seemed most appropriate as a point of contact.
> 
> Regarding your request, I am willing to meet with you to discuss sci-fi, astronomy, and physics with you. I am a little apprehensive about being able to meet your expectations, but I will do my best to answer your questions and teach you about science.
> 
> I have several openings over the next few days. Please quote what you feel is fair compensation and we can start from there.
> 
> I look forward to hearing from you again,   
>  Hanzo Shimada, Ph.D.

 

Hanzo looked over after he finished writing it and shook his head. He sounded far too stiff, too formal; he doubted that Jesse McCree was going to want to learn from him. Hanzo wouldn’t want to learn from someone who sounded like he did. But he couldn’t figure out how to fix the email without sounding disingenuous, so he sent it as it was.

This was going to be a disaster, he knew it.  


	2. Chapter 2

Jesse had honestly been surprised that the observatory was willing to see him - though judging by how stiffly the email was worded, maybe Dr. Hanzo Shimada wasn’t all that thrilled about the meeting. It took a little bit of negotiation for time and day, but they eventually worked everything out. It cost less than Jesse initially anticipated, which both he and Satya were pleased about.

Honestly, he was a bit nervous about the whole thing, especially now that he was driving to the observatory. Yet at the same time, Jesse was  _ excited _ . He loved learning new things and the stars had always fascinated him, so the prospect of learning about the stars in particular was  _ exciting _ . At the same time, he didn’t want to come off like an idiot or someone who was uneducated. He knew that people thought that about him at times. It bothered him, but he tried to let it slide most of the time.

Before Jesse knew it, the winding back roads led him to the observatory. It was nestled among hills with a lush forest surrounding it. The area was truly beautiful and was the type of area that made Jesse want to set up under a tree and just  _ write _ .  _ I wonder if he’d just let me set up outside and write...that’s too weird to ask, isn’t it? _ Jesse shook the thought away after determining that it was much too weird.  _ I haven’t even met him, I shouldn’t be asking for  _ **_more_ ** _ things when we haven’t even gotten past hello yet. _

He parked his car and started walking toward the front door of the observatory - or at least what  _ looked _ like a front door. Jesse hesitated when he got there, his hand hovering over the push bar.  _ I’m being damn ridiculous. _ Jesse was just going to be talking to an expert in a subject, it wasn’t like it was the first time he was doing this sort of thing. 

When he entered the building proper, a soft chime played to alert the employees to his presence. Jesse shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited for someone to come and greet him.

“Ah, apologies! I did not mean to keep you waiting.” The voice that was speaking was low and gruff with a hint of authority as well. Yet Jesse still could hear  _ nerves _ in the man’s voice. “Dr. Hanzo Shimada, at your service.”

Jesse turned in the direction of Hanzo and felt his breath catch. He had expected Dr. Hanzo Shimada to look like some glasses wearing nerd. His expectations were completely  _ shattered _ , but in the best way possible. Hanzo Shimada did not look like a nerd in the least. He was muscular, with a broad shoulders, and looked like a jock who fell straight into a classic Hot Topic store, back when it was all punk and goth instead of whatever it was now. Tattoos, long hair, a bridge piercing, and tight, dark wash jeans that left little to the imagination. 

Hanzo Shimada was so attractive that it was damn near  _ sinful _ .

Jesse forced his lungs to start working again and reminded himself internally that he needed to  _ respond _ to Hanzo’s words. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Shimada. I’m Jesse McCree. Thanks again for taking the time to meet with me, I really appreciate it.” He held his hand out so they could shake hands and smiled as warmly as he could. Jesse knew he was blushing, but he was trying to ignore that and play it cool. “And no worries, I wasn’t waitin’ that long at all.”

Jesse’s smile only got brighter when Hanzo took his hand in a firm grip. The man’s hands were broader than his and calloused in a way that Jesse didn’t expect for a scientist. His mind immediately drifted to less than work appropriate thoughts - like how those hands would feel on his--

_ No, now isn’t the time. _

Hanzo looked utterly relieved that Jesse hadn’t been waiting all that long. “Ah, I’m glad you weren’t waiting too long.” He motioned for Jesse to follow him into the observatory proper. “Shall we sit and discuss how you want this going then?”

“Sounds good to me.”

With that, Jesse found himself being guided into the observatory. The ceiling was domed and there was a very obvious, very fancy telescope on one side of the building. There were a few computer stations, several bookshelves… And while everything was neat and tidy, it looked lived in. More like a home than a clinical, scientific space. It was a fact that made him just a little more at ease about the whole arrangement. And gave him an idea of how he should potentially portray scientists in his upcoming book.

The two settled in at a small table in a corner of the observatory, one where there were some comfortable chairs for lounging and a coffee table. Jesse was offered a cool drink for while they talked and was pleased as punch when Hanzo brought out some iced tea. 

Beyond that...things were  _ awkward _ . Jesse knew it was partly his fault - he was nervous and that was making it hard to be charming. The fact that Hanzo was so attractive (who knew that scientists could be hot??) was only making things  _ more _ difficult. Add in that Hanzo was fairly awkward as well…

It was just...difficult.

But they were both trying…?

“So...what made you start writing?”

_ Oh thank goodness. _ The question about writing was enough to get Jesse’s brain going again, maybe even enough to pull him out of the awkwardness that was permeating their interaction.

“I’ve always loved stories.” Jesse took a sip of his iced tea. “I wound up with a rough group growing up...stories kept me going through all the stuff we did.”  _ That’s about the nicest way I can say that I used to be with Deadlock. Don’t want to come out and say that right off the bat. _ “I loved when it was my turn to tell stories around the campfire. The guys always liked ‘em too.”

Though writing and storytelling weren’t necessarily one and the same. Jesse wound up learning a lot about the differences between oral storytelling and written storytelling as he continued growing as a writer. The first stories he wrote were absolute garbage in terms of pacing and structure. Thankfully, he’d been able to enroll in some creative writing classes at the local community college after getting his GED. That had helped immensely, even if he was grumpy about the fact that he hadn’t been able to write genre fiction in those classes. They’d only liked high falutin  _ literary fiction _ . Jesse learned quickly that he  _ hated _ writing literary fiction, it made him feel pretentious.

Even with that fact, Jesse wouldn’t change his choice to take those classes. They really helped him out in the end.

Hanzo hummed and nodded. “I am not a very good storyteller, but I have always enjoyed science fiction stories.” 

Jesse’s face softened a little. “Is that what got you into the stars and space and stuff?”  _ Wow, way to sound intelligent, McCree. _

“In a way, I suppose so. The fascination was always there.” Hanzo’s face settled into a smirk that Jesse didn’t expect from an academic - it was very nearly  _ feral _ and was more than a little aggressive. “The main reason is that many people said that I  _ wouldn’t _ be able to do so.”

Jesse stared for a moment, his mouth hanging slightly agape.  _ Did he just say he got a Ph.D. out of spite? _ He must’ve heard Hanzo wrong, people didn’t get  _ that much _ higher education out of spite. “Pardon?”

“I was told that I couldn’t possibly achieve something like a Ph.D. because I was getting a late start, because I was out of school for some time.” Hanzo paused and took a sip from his hot tea. “That didn’t sit right with me...so I worked extra hard and completed an accelerated combination Bachelor of Science and Master of Science before moving to my Ph.D program.”

That was far too close to what Jesse went through, being told that he wouldn’t amount to anything because of the fact that he didn’t have a standard education, because he’d been in gang, because it was  _ too late _ for him to get started. When he thought about it, he tried extra hard out of spite just like Hanzo did. Because he wanted to prove a point.

“That’s real impressive. I guess I can relate to that.” Jesse gave a wry grin and rubbed the back of his neck.  _ Maybe this won’t be so hard...I didn’t think we’d have anything in common. _ “I didn’t really have anyone thinkin’ I could start a writing career or make it profitable or anything like that.” There had been a few notable exceptions - like his mentor Gabe, Ana, Fareeha… “So I pushed extra hard jus’ to show ‘em all.”

A natural lull in conversation fell between the two of them and Jesse sipped at his iced tea a little more. They hadn’t really talked about  _ stars _ or  _ science _ yet, but Jesse felt like things were going fairly well. They were both warming up...they weren’t really floundering around for conversation.

“So...I understand you writing westerns…” Hanzo motioned to the cowboy hat that was perched upon Jesse’s head. “...but why science fiction?”

Jesse felt a tiny bit of heat creep up his cheeks - it was a question he anticipated, but it still managed to throw him through a loop. He took another sip of his beverage just to hide the fact that he was getting all  _ flustered _ . “Well...I kinda had a rough upbringing. Left home as a teenager and joined up with a less than savory group.”  _ A gang. _ “...sounds cliché, but lookin’ up at the sky and seeing that there was so much  _ more _ out there kinda kept me going.” He’d make up stories about what was going on out there to distract himself from the shitty choices he’d made in his life.

“I don’t think that’s cliché.” Hanzo offered a smile, a soft one. One that made Jesse’s heart start beating just a little faster. “I can relate to it at least.”

Jesse wondered on just  _ how much _ Hanzo was able to relate to, but didn’t ask. “Glad you don’t think it is...but...god...why limit myself to earth and westerns when I could have the entirety of space for a story?” It wasn’t that he disliked writing westerns - he  _ loved _ writing westerns. It was just that he wanted  _ more _ for his writing. He wanted to challenge himself. “But like I said in my email, I want to do it right. I know a lot of people dislike when writers get science wrong.”

Jesse watched Hanzo’s face shift from that smile to something a bit tighter, like he was holding back. “I want to say I’m not one of those people, but I really, really am. I really dislike when science is wrong, it pulls me out of the story.”

And that was exactly why Jesse wanted to make sure he got the science parts  _ right _ . He didn’t want to upset actual scientists or  _ any _ readers. He wanted to do it  _ right _ .

“So...what’s the biggest pet peeve? Is it explosions making sound in space? Convenient technology? All aliens knowing how to speak english?” Jesse leaned forward, his elbows resting against his knees as he did so. He was grinning and watched Hanzo twitch with each thing he said.  _ He’s cute… _

 

* * *

  
  


While Hanzo had almost  _ dreaded _ the first interaction with Jesse McCree, he was almost buzzing with excitement while he prepared for their second meeting. It had been so much easier to talk to Jesse than Hanzo anticipated, at least once they settled into stars and science fiction and all that. He would admit that things were a bit stilted at first - part from Hanzo’s anxiety and part from him being shocked by how  _ attractive _ Jesse McCree happened to be.

At the moment, Hanzo was gathering up his notes on various theories he thought would work well for Jesse’s story. The two had gone over the basic plot points and things that Jesse was  _ considering _ including in terms of science - and Hanzo vowed that he’d find some notes to share with him. It really wasn’t that hard to find theories and notes that would potentially work. Hanzo  _ loved _ theorizing and speculating and trying to understand how science fiction technology could become  _ reality. _ It led to a lot of notes on really weird topics.

“You seem excited, Dr. Shimada.” Lucio called from his desk. There was a hint of amusement in his voice, but it wasn’t mocking. “I take it things went well?”

Hanzo shot his assistant a playful scowl before shuffling a few notes around into an order that made more sense, at least an order that made more sense to him. “Yes, things went well. And you know you can call me Hanzo.” 

Being called Dr. Shimada just felt  _ stuffy _ . 

“I know. I’m glad it went well though.” Lucio was spinning around on his desk chair. “Been awhile since you’ve smiled like this.”

Had it really been that long since Hanzo seemed excited? He supposed it must be true if Genji was as worried as he was, if  _ Lucio _ was this worried. Hanzo knew he was lucky to have people who cared, but he just felt  _ bad _ that he was making them worry about him.

“I suppose it has.” Hanzo paused and fidgeted with his hair as he tried to figure out what else he needed to do. “Jesse will be stopping by again this afternoon. You’re welcome to stick around, I believe he said he was bringing snacks.”

“Ohhh... _ Jesse _ .” Lucio’s voice took on the tone that Hanzo associated  _ strongly _ with when Genji was being an obnoxious little brother. “You’re being mighty casual for only having just met him.”

Hanzo knew he was, but Jesse had absolutely insisted on being called ‘Jesse’ rather than anything else that was more polite. Hanzo wasn’t going to make his guest feel uncomfortable just because he felt the need to refer to him in a ‘polite’ way.

“I am, but that’s what he prefers.” Hanzo responded in a clipped tone. “I would rather make him comfortable.” He looked over the notes again and tried to figure out if he was missing anything - it felt like he was, but that could very well be his anxiety messing with him.

“And as much as I’d love to hang around and chat science with you guys, I’ve got a music gig tonight. I’ll be heading out in a few.” 

As much as Hanzo was genuine in his invitation to Lucio, he was secretly a little glad that it would be just him and Jesse. That way if he messed up, no one else would see. Also...he was liking this time with Jesse. It was new and exciting. And he was a little afraid that if there was someone else there he’d clam up again…

“Ah, well, the offer is still there.” Hanzo glanced over to his assistant - he was still spinning in his chair. It really  _ was _ a slow day. “Break a leg tonight.” 

He wasn’t entirely sure  _ how _ Lucio wound up as his assistant - the younger man was a musician and audio technician more than he was a physicist, but Hanzo appreciated the unique perspective that Lucio provided anyway. Sometimes Hanzo got muddled in the details and variables and minutiae of a project, Lucio’s creativity helped create interesting and innovative solutions. Some were more successful than others, but they were always something that Hanzo  _ hadn’t _ considered.

“Thanks! It’s gonna be insane. That pro gamer girl from Korea is going to be livestreaming at the club and wants  _ me _ to DJ her stream. Isn’t that wild?” He paused and giggled. “Maybe I’ll be able to get her autograph.”

Hanzo couldn’t pretend to understand  _ why _ a club booked a pro gamer to stream a video game, but he was excited for Lucio. It was a big opportunity for him. “I hope that you’ll be able to.”

The two fell back into a comfortable silence as they continued working. After about twenty minutes, Lucio left to prepare for his gig, but not before wishing Hanzo luck and winking.  _ He very clearly has a different idea of what we’re going to be doing.  _ Hanzo rolled his eyes and went back to tidying everything up.

It wasn’t like the observatory was messy, it was quite neat. But he just wanted it to look  _ better _ . He didn’t want to be seen as a slob. Hanzo had to accept that the observatory was as clean as it was going to get and that there wasn’t anything else he could finish before Jesse got there--

The front doors chimed.

_ Speak of the devil and he will appear? _ Not that Hanzo thought Jesse was the devil.

Hanzo set down what he was holding and rushed over to the lobby - he didn’t want Jesse to be waiting too long. He told himself it was his politeness that made him sprint there, but Hanzo was genuinely excited to spend more time with Jesse. He was looking forward to their conversation, banter, and learning more about this writer cowboy. Part of it was that immediate, undeniable attraction Hanzo had for Jesse, the rest was having someone close to his age with shared interests to talk to. Someone who was almost like a  _ friend _ .

Could he consider Jesse a friend after one afternoon of interaction? 

Was that latching onto him too quickly?

Hanzo didn’t really have time to contemplate those thoughts since Jesse was waiting for him. 

He was panting when he slid into the lobby, his hair a mess and sticking up at odd angles. “Sorry, sorry. Welcome back, Jesse.” Hanzo offered a smile, which was only slightly marred by the fact that he was trying to catch his breath. He was in shape, but anxiety was playing in now.

“Hey, no worries. I barely even got in the door before you were here.” Jesse smiled, all warmth and sunshine and Hanzo felt like he couldn’t  _ breathe _ for a moment. “Nice to see you again, Hanzo. Ready to get your sci-fi on?” He held up a grocery bag. “I brought sweets~”

Hanzo laughed and nodded. Yes, he was definitely ready to ‘get his sci-fi on.’ Honestly, he was probably  _ too _ ready. There was enough information there to overwhelm another science field academic - there was a good chance that Hanzo was going to wind up overwhelming  _ Jesse _ with the sheer amount of research he was pulling out.

“Yes, let’s get started, shall we? And thank you for bringing snacks, I appreciate it.” Hanzo smiled and guided Jesse into the observatory again. The ‘untidiness’ was still bothering him, but he shook it away. Everything was clean enough. Hanzo took his seat and sipped at his hot tea before shuffling his notes again.

“Hell...that’s a lot of notes.” Jesse’s eyes were wide as he stared at the stacks of paper between them. “You really went all out...damn…”

_ All out...got carried away...same thing, right? _

“I wanted to give you a lot of options. ” Hanzo admitted. He could feel his cheeks getting a bit hot and he knew he was blushing. “I know it’s a lot, but I’ll do my best to explain how it would work well with what you’ve told me about your story.”

The two fell into deep discussion of physics, astronomy, and far more  _ targeted _ topics as well. Hanzo was pleased that Jesse was very quick on the uptake with most of the topics - unless he involved numbers and math. Then he got confused and frustrated. So Hanzo just avoided including the math portions. It wasn’t like Jesse would need  _ exact equations _ and all that. He just needed to know enough to make his science sound believable to add that layer of realism. No math needed for that. And Hanzo was  _ enjoying _ teaching Jesse these concepts and explaining exactly how they could work in a science fiction setting. It was a type of mental stimulation he didn’t get from most of his colleagues. 

“Wait...so you’re tellin’ me that warp drives are theoretically  _ actually _ possible?” Jesse’s drawl cut through Hanzo’s thoughts. “Because I remember seein’ a lot of people bitchin’ about warp travel online. And you think it’s reasonable to have humans be the one to invent that?”

Hanzo paused and tried to figure out how to phrase everything. He hummed softly and nibbled at the packaged cake that Jesse brought for them to share. “Well...most of what humanity has done can be seen as pursuit of ‘fast.’ We started riding horses, made carriages, made cars, made  _ planes. _ ” Another pause, this time to sip at his beverage. “And now humans are trying to understand lightspeed travel...and really, we’re taking baby steps at this point - but it’s a start. But we’re talking about  _ theoretical maximum fast _ . I can totally believe that humans would invent it because gotta go fast.”

Jesse stared at him for a few moments, his lips slightly parted and his expression an odd combination of confused, amused, and something else that Hanzo couldn’t pinpoint. “...did you just make a Sonic reference?”

Hanzo kept his expression neutral, very nearly deadpan, and just shrugged. 

The two fell back into conversation, though it seemed like Jesse was trying to see if Hanzo was making more nerdy references. He totally  _ was _ making those references, he was just being stealthy about it.

But something felt  _ stilted _ to Hanzo. He was loving their discussion, the ideas that Jesse was coming up with now that he was exposed to properly explained science, but something still felt  _ off _ . 

It hit him a moment later.

Notes and discussion didn’t  _ show _ anything. 

They were in an observatory.

Hanzo could literally show Jesse the stars he wanted to write about so badly. Though everything was best viewed at night… They were far too early to view anything at this point.

“Damn, this is all so helpful, Hanzo.” Jesse was taking down a few notes. His face was lit up in a bright grin and he just looked excited. “I can’t begin to thank you enough.”

Hanzo let out a slow breath.  _ Do I bring it up…? Would he be interested in something like that? _ He eventually settled on  _ yes _ , Jesse would be interested. The man had been devouring any and all information that Hanzo gave him. He’d  _ love _ the opportunity to see the stars clearly. 

“I’m very glad that I’ve been able to help you.” Hanzo fidgeted with some of his notes and slowly brought his gaze to Jesse’s. “But while notes are all well and good...it isn’t  _ seeing _ the stars. I think that would help you too…” He paused and wiped his sweaty palms against his jeans. “So...would you like to come to the observatory tomorrow evening?”

The silence that followed made Hanzo believe that, perhaps, he hadn’t thought this through well enough. He was just about ready to say it was okay if Jesse wasn’t interested when Jesse finally spoke.

“Oh hell yeah, I’d love to come see the stars!” Jesse’s face lit up, his smile burning as bright as a sun. “I’ll bring some food, it’ll be great.”

Jesse’s smile took Hanzo’s breath away, like he’d been punched.  _ I’d do anything to see him smile like that again… _ “How does 7pm sound?”

The time was set and conversation continued on. But Hanzo’s mind was completely focused on how gorgeous that smile was...and on how he could get Jesse to smile like that again.


	3. Chapter 3

Jesse jolted when his phone rang and scrambled to get it out of his pocket before it went to voicemail. When he saw who was calling, he was glad that he got it before it went to message. Satya. 

“Hey Satya. How’s it going?” Jesse smiled as he grabbed his keys. If he put the call on bluetooth once he was in the car, he could chat  _ and _ drive to the observatory. Two birds with one stone! And he’d have some company for the drive, that was important too. He was fine with being the only one in the car while driving, but having company was nice too.

“Things are going well. And how are you doing?”

Jesse was doing  _ great _ . He loved the time he was spending out at Dragonstrike Observatory, especially the time he spent chatting with Hanzo about various scientific topics. And he was really enjoying getting to know Hanzo as more than a scientist. He was an odd man, that was for sure, but in a delightful way. Jesse was already considering him a friend - though he kept wondering if it was weird to do so. After all, he was paying Hanzo for his time and all that jazz. 

But not everything they talked about was science. 

“Doing pretty well.” Jesse said as he plunked down in the driver’s seat of his truck. “Just a sec, I’m gonna get you on bluetooth.” He tapped a few things and sighed in relief when Satya’s voice was coming through the car’s sound system. He always worried that it wouldn’t work properly, that the technology would somehow betray him despite the fact that he was fairly tech savvy. “But yeah, doin’ pretty well. Just on my way over to the observatory.”

That would bring conversation to work, which was probably for the better. Jesse didn’t want to dwell on his ‘confusing’ feelings (they really weren’t all that confusing. Jesse liked Hanzo. And was very attracted to him).

Satya made a soft noise that  _ sounded _ pleased, but really, it was hard for Jesse to tell. It helped when they were in person because he could see her expressions. “Really, I am pleased with the potential scientific theories you are planning on alluding to, it’s adding a nice layer of depth. I take it you’ve been spending a decent amount of time at the observatory?”

Jesse chuckled, almost a little nervous. He really had been spending a lot of time over at the observatory - mainly because he liked Hanzo’s company. Yes, he was learning so many different scientific theories and figuring out how he wanted to implement them in his story; but he really just  _ adored _ the companionship that came from their meetings. 

“Yeah, I’ve been there a lot.”  _ Like every other day at this point. Oops? _ “Dr. Shimada is great at breaking down the complicated shit into something I can understand. An’ he’s got a lot of research and ideas…”

“It sounds like you got in contact with the correct astrophysicist then.” Satya almost sounded like she was smiling. Jesse heard her shuffle papers around. “I’m glad you’re enjoying your research.” Her inflection was almost a little teasing, just enough for Jesse to realize that Satya was well aware that Jesse’s feelings weren’t completely professional.

People always told Jesse that Sayta Vaswani was not particularly good at surmising the emotions that people were experiencing. All of those people were wrong. Satya was  _ very _ good at it - her emotional responses were just _ muted _ , which led people to think she wasn’t able to read emotion. Jesse always thought that was a ridiculous jump to make…

But Satya was picking up on how happy Jesse was to have someone to chatter about nerdy things with, about how he was enjoying the meetings on more than a professional level…

“Yeah, seems so.” 

Thankfully, Satya wasn’t asking about the non-professional feelings.

“Though…I must ask...with the amount of information you’ve sent me, it’s clear you have very clear ideas on how this story is going to go.” Satya’s voice was even and crisp, completely professional. “Do you have an idea of when you will have an outline for me?”

It was a question that Jesse usually would answer  _ immediately _ because he was excited to start writing the actual story. But right now Jesse was hesitating because he didn’t want this research phase to end. He didn’t want to be done going to the observatory and arguing about what constituted ‘theoretical maximum fast’ or what would happen if a ship got too close to a black hole or if magical girl transformation sequences are cute or horrifying. 

Jesse coughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Shouldn’t be too long. I’ve got just about what I need in terms of information.” But he didn’t want to give a concrete answer because that meant there would be a hard end to his meetings with Hanzo. And he didn’t want that. Jesse wanted to keep seeing him…

“Then I look forward to seeing your outline soon, Jesse.” Satya responded in the same clipped, professional tone. “I have a meeting to get to - good luck.”

With that, the call disconnected and Jesse was left with the silence in his car and his conflicted emotions as he continued driving to the observatory.

The rest of the drive didn’t take very long. Jesse’s thoughts were still scattered as he pulled in and put his truck in park.  _ I need to get my mind in gear. I want to enjoy this time, not be brooding about the fact that this is almost over… _ He scrubbed at his face before slowly getting out of the vehicle.  _ Head in the game, McCree. Just have a nice night. _ It took a few more seconds for Jesse to get his thoughts in order, to feel light enough that he wasn’t going to be an emotional black hole for the entire evening. Jesse scooped up the bag of food he brought for the two of them to share and made his way into the observatory.

As usual, it didn’t take long for Hanzo to be sprinting into the lobby to greet Jesse. The first few times, Hanzo had almost looked nervous or afraid and so very unsure. Honestly, Jesse had felt similarly, at least the first time. This time, Hanzo just looked  _ radiant. _ His smile was like the sun, so bright and warm. While Jesse already thought Hanzo was handsome, that smile completely transformed his face.  _ Hell, he might be the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. _

“Hello Jesse, I’m glad to see you again.” Hanzo motioned for Jesse to come in. “The sun is almost down, so we could eat before we view the stars?”

“Sounds good to me.” Jesse nodded his agreement and followed after Hanzo.

Dinner was quiet, with the two exchanging small questions and tidbits about what they’d been up to in the last couple days. It was nice, Jesse liked the slower pace of it. It was nice to see a calmer, relaxed side of Hanzo rather than the frenzied one he’d been seeing during their previous conversations.  _ I’d like to see this side of him more often… _ But it was likely that Jesse  _ wouldn’t _ get to see this version of Hanzo very often. After all, Jesse was making good progress on his outline...he had just about everything he needed.

Before those thoughts could settle in too much, dinner was done and the two of them were setting up to watch the stars. 

It wasn’t like this was the first time that Jesse was going to stargaze. He’d done so plenty of times back in his Deadlock days. Sometimes when he was stuck on a manuscript he’d go up on the roof of his house and watch the stars - sometimes it helped him get over the block, sometimes it just got him to  _ relax _ . But this time, Jesse’s heart was hammering at the thought of watching the night sky. 

He was certain it was because of how Hanzo looked as he rushed around to get everything set up. There was something akin to  _ fire _ in his eyes, but so warm and happy and  _ beautiful _ . Jesse couldn’t help but watch him. His motions were almost like a  _ dance _ with how graceful they were.

“Sorry to be so insistent to get things set up right now, but there’s a meteor shower tonight.” Hanzo paused to shoot Jesse a smile. “We’re in one of the best areas for viewing...and the weather is _ clear _ tonight.”

_ This is kinda romantic… _ Jesse felt his heart flutter at the notion of watching meteors streaking across the sky together. “No problem, Han. Sounds perfect.” He had to resist the urge to call Hanzo something like ‘sweetheart’ or ‘hon’ or anything like that. 

Because of the meteor shower, the two set up on the small balcony - Hanzo assured him that they’d move back inside to use the telescope after a bit. Jesse was impressed both by how  _ clear _ the sky was this far away from the city as well as how the dark trees framed everything so beautifully. It was picturesque, stunningly so. 

“I know they aren’t exactly what you were thinking for  _ really _ seeing space...but…” Hanzo brushed a loose strand of hair away from his face. “It just seemed like a perfect opportunity to show how  _ beautiful _ space can be.”

It might not be what Jesse was exactly looking for - but working a meteor shower into the story could make for a beautiful moment in the book. All stories needed breather moments...and a meteor shower could work to bring characters together in a non-violent, non-traumatic way, it could get them to bond more…

_ I might be projecting onto my characters and story. _

The shower was slow to start, almost uneventful. Just a meteor streaking across the sky, the tail glowing so bright against the darkness of the night. Everything was so quiet, it allowed Jesse to focus on his thoughts  _ way _ too much. 

“I used to make wishes on ‘em.” Jesse glanced over at Hanzo - the shorter man was staring up at the stars with wonder in his eyes. “On shootin’ stars.” He almost felt bad breaking the idyllic silence, but at the same time…

He wanted to talk to Hanzo more.

“I did as well.” Hanzo hummed softly, his smile getting wider as more and more meteors started trailing across the night sky. “I still do, to be honest. Even knowing that they’re from parts of comets that break up in our atmosphere...they still seem like magic.”

Hanzo continued on about comets and meteors - about how they all come at us from the same angle but the perspective makes them seem closer or further away. That the reason bits break off in the atmosphere is because the way comets orbit is inherently a bit lopsided. So much information about how meteor showers worked.

But Jesse could barely process what Hanzo was saying, he was absolutely struck by how Hanzo looked in the moonlight. He was talking about something he loved and his passion was obvious in his smile and the warmth in his eyes. Hanzo just looked...beautiful. Jesse knew he should be listening, he knew he should be watching the meteors instead of Hanzo’s face - but he couldn’t stop taking in every little detail about Hanzo’s face. He wanted to memorize it so he wouldn’t ever forget it...

_ Hell, I really like him… _

 

* * *

  
  


Hanzo stared at his computer screen and the numbers that were displaying. Research. Important data that he’d been gathering for  _ months _ for his research. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to focus on it  _ at all _ . It wasn’t like this research was boring or anything, it was one that Hanzo was  _ thrilled _ to be working on. But his brain just wouldn’t cooperate, it was more than a little frustrating.

_ I wonder if I could work this research into something that Jesse would be able to use for his story…? _ Hanzo shook that thought off a moment later. He only wanted to give Jesse information that was fully developed and researched - not this work in progress.  _ Maybe in the future then…? _

Hanzo smiled and nodded at that thought. Yes, that seemed like a good idea.

_ Wait. Am I preparing for the future with Jesse…? _

“Anija~” Genji sang out the word in a tone that immediately threw Hanzo back into their childhood years. “You’re distracted, aren’t you~”

It wasn’t even a question. It was an outright statement. And Hanzo was annoyed that it was a  _ truthful _ statement.

“Yes, I am analyzing this data and--”

“Hanzo, don’t lie to me.” Genji’s tone was still singsong. “I know you aren’t working. You’ve been staring at the same page for twenty minutes now.”

Hanzo opened his mouth to say that Genji was wrong, but closed it a moment later. He was still on the first page of data. He had been that whole morning - definitely more than twenty minutes (though he wasn’t about to tell Genji that he was  _ more _ distracted than he seemed). “I just want to be sure I’m doing all I can to assist Jesse with his story.”

Hanzo’s phone chirped a moment later, before Genji had a chance to respond.  _ A discord notification? Who would be messaging me this early? _

> **[High Noon McCree]** hey Han - what was that wormhole thing you recommended that I check out again?

Hanzo’s heart fluttered at the nickname and he felt a tiny bit of heat creep up his cheeks.

> **[Dragon’s Geometry]** stargate. it is a bit older, but still very good. a nice mix of science fiction and fantasy elements 

Hanzo thought that Jesse would appreciate the humor that was mixed in the series, as well as how high the stakes got at times. At the same time, he also thought Jesse would get irritated with some of the episodes with weaker plots.

“Is that Jesse you’re talking to now?” Genji sounded closer now. Hanzo glanced over his shoulder and jumped when he realized his younger brother was very nearly reading over his shoulder. He knew that Genji  _ wouldn’t _ , but it still spiked his anxiety.

“Perhaps.”

> **[High Noon McCree]** I’ll check it out then. Sorry to ask about it again - I didn’t write down the name lol

Hanzo snorted back a laugh and started to respond.

“Anjia. You’re smiling.”

He lifted his gaze up from his phone and scowled at Genji. “And your point is…?”

Genji was undeterred by the scowl. “You never smile this early on in the day. You don’t  _ like _ mornings.”

> **[Dragon’s Geometry]** not a problem. i don’t mind giving you the name again. 

“Perhaps I didn’t sleep.” Hanzo deadpanned his response.

Hanzo turned away from Genji and stared at the screen again. The blinking cursor was mocking him, he was certain of it. 

“Ohhh...you didn’t sleep! And wasn’t Jesse over last night?”

Hanzo groaned - he’d walked straight into that one. He should have realized that Genji would take those words to mean that something had happened. The only thing that happened was the two of them staying up way too late watching the night sky because of the meteor shower, nothing else.

He shot his brother a withering glare and didn’t dignify him with a verbal response. He didn’t feel the need to do so.

> **[High Noon McCree]** You mind telling me the name of that phone game you’re always playing then? And that computer game you recommended because of space exploration?

The fact that Jesse caught him playing  _ Fate/Grand Order _ in a lull during the meteor shower and simply asked him about it rather than judging him for obsessively playing a mobile game was really nice. It had sparked an entire conversation about games in general, which brought Hanzo to recommending  _ No Man’s Sky _ as well.  _ Maybe he’s considering playing both games…? _

> **[Dragon’s Geometry]** the one on phone is fate/grand order. let me know if you wind up making an account, i’ll send you my support ID. and no man’s sky is the one for computer. it’s a little buggy, but i really enjoy it

Though he did enjoy it with a grain of salt. Hanzo  _ did _ get irritated with how close together the planets were - though he understood why the developers chose to make things that way. Plus, it allowed him to explore the stars which was something he’d dreamed of for years.

“It must be Jesse, you’re  _ really _ distracted.” Genji hummed.

_ Damn him and his insightfulness.  _ Hanzo snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes, it is Jesse. I’m not that distracted.”

> **[High Noon McCree]** awesome, I’ll check both of those out when I’m taking a break. I think my PC should be able to handle No Man’s Sky, right?

Before Genji could comment on his distractedness again, Hanzo started responding to Jesse immediately.

> **[Dragon’s Geometry]** likely yes? if it doesn’t run at max specs, it’s fine. the game is still enjoyable at lower resolutions

Really, he was more excited about Jesse picking up _Fate/Grand Order_ rather than _No Man’s Sky._ _No Man’s Sky_ fell into the whole space and science thing, which was a continuation of everything they’d been talking about already. _Fate/Grand Order_ was a very different sort of game. Sure there were technological aspects and even space aspects, but it was primarily magic and fantasy. It was something different - to Hanzo it seemed like they were growing, like a real friendship was forming.

Maybe he was being a little too hopeful…

“Hanzo. Are you listening to me?” The playful tone was completely gone from Genji’s voice - all that remained was the remnants of a tone that Genji used fairly often when they were back in Hanamura. A harsh one that the elders  _ almost _ approved of. Almost. To hear that voice now was jarring, horribly so. He’d honestly forgotten that Genji could sound like that all. And for Genji to bust that tone out...Hanzo must have completely tuned him out.

For a moment, he considered lying to Genji, but sighed. “No, I was distracted.” Hanzo didn’t like admitting it, but he hated lying to Genji. Lesser of two evils. 

“Ohhhhhhh…” Genji poked Hanzo’s shoulder. “So you _ were _ distracted by Jesse.” And just like that, he was back into the role of ‘obnoxious younger brother.’

As much as Hanzo wanted to say that he was distracted by Jesse’s  _ book _ rather than  _ Jesse himself _ , he knew he was distracted by the latter. He knew it was because he liked spending time with Jesse and looked forward to every single meeting they had. 

But at the same time, Hanzo knew that Jesse had almost all the material he needed for the story. He knew their time was going to be coming to an end soon. 

He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d do then…

Would it be okay for Hanzo to keep contacting Jesse? Would that be completely unprofessional? Hanzo wasn’t entirely sure.  _ I really need to figure that out… _

“I guess I was. His book is intriguing and I want to be sure I assist him to the best of my abilities.” It wasn’t the complete truth, but it was  _ enough _ truth. Hanzo didn’t really want to admit the real reason Jesse was so distracting to him. 

“Lucio told me that you and Jesse spent a good seven hours talking the other night.” Genji started toying with the stapler that was sitting on the side of Hanzo’s desk. “That’s big for you, anija. You  _ hate _ talking to people.”

It was true. Hanzo wasn’t really much of a people person, especially considering he was originally in line to take over the Shimada. Talking with Jesse was just...easy. Usually Hanzo got anxious or awkward when talking with people, or just didn’t like it. But Jesse made conversation easy. He put Hanzo at ease, made conversation seem like second nature.

Hanzo hadn’t ever had that sort of thing happen before. 

“He is an interesting man. I’m happy to help him understand science so he can venture into science fiction.” Hanzo looked at the data on his computer screen again. The cursor was still mocking him.

He wasn’t going to get anything done.

Not when his mind was spiraling with thoughts about how it felt like he was losing a friend.

> **[High Noon McCree]** hey is this a good pull in FGO?

Hanzo clicked the attachment to enlarge it and damn near dropped his phone.  _ Of course he manages to pull Ozymandias and Karna  _ **_and_ ** _ Tamamo-no-Mae right off the bat. HOW. _ “Genji, Jesse just pulled three five stars in  _ Grand Order _ and I don’t know how he tricked the gacha into that but holy hell.” A moment later, he realized that all of the five stars were ones strongly associated with the sun.

Of course.

High Noon McCree and all.

Genji scrambled over to him and peered over his shoulder. “Damn, he must’ve burned all his gacha luck in one go.”

That was a fair point.

> **[Dragon’s Geometry]** yes. that is a good pull. go buy a lottery ticket. or 80 lottery tickets.
> 
> **[High Noon McCree]** Haha, got it. It’s a real good pull then.

A moment later, Jesse sent his friend code and Hanzo added him as quickly as possible. 

“Send him my friend code too.” Genji pulled away from Hanzo and sauntered back to the chair he’d claimed as his own. 

Hanzo did as he was told and went back to staring at his data. He could hear his phone chiming and feel it shaking the table, but he really needed to try and get some work done, even if his mind wasn’t completely there at the moment. His thoughts were stuck on the fact that Jesse would be turning in his outline soon and thus their budding friendship would likely end…

Hanzo didn’t want it to.

He liked spending time with Jesse. He was nice, he made conversation so easy, he made Hanzo  _ laugh _ . 

_ He’s friendly and sweet but still sassy and so attractive and… _

Hanzo paused in his thoughts and stared at his phone and the notifications that were blinking on the screen.

_ Oh hell. I really like him, don’t I? _


	4. Chapter 4

Jesse was both excited and almost  _ mourning _ as he arrived at the observatory. He was there for another night viewing - this one a little more standard since there wasn’t a meteor shower (to his knowledge). It was another beautiful, clear night. They were going to see so much. 

Yet it was hard to get as excited as he  _ should _ get.

Jesse knew this was likely going to be their last meeting. He only had a tiny bit left to outline and none of it dealt with the science-y bits that he and Hanzo were going over. At least he didn’t  _ think _ they dealt with science things - he might wind up throwing a bit more in there…

Maybe that was just his way of justifying this meeting. 

Really, Jesse just wanted to spend more time with Hanzo. He liked him, a lot. A lot more than he was willing to admit.

He was about to make his way to the door when his phone started buzzing in his pocket. Incessantly.  _ Must be a phone call then… _ Jesse pulled his phone out of his pocket - and was ready to ignore it and be on his way until he saw that Fareeha was the one calling. 

“Hey Reeha, what’s up?” Jesse leaned against his truck and stared up at the clear night sky. It was in that beautiful transitional stage from twilight into true night - blues and greens bled together like watercolors. Stunning.

“Not much, Jess. Just wanted to say that I’m going to be out of town for a couple days on business. I know you turn into a bit of a hermit when I’m not around, so...try to get out for a bit, okay?” Fareeha sounded moderately winded - Jesse figured she must be packing. “Though...you’ve been so happy lately…”

Jesse rubbed the back of his neck as he listened to Fareeha talk about his tendencies. He wanted to deny them, but he knew he started to hide away when Fareeha was out of town. Sure, Jesse had friends, but when he was home alone he usually just wound up staying home. And getting mopey…

But the comment about him being happier now struck a chord.  _ Didn’t realize I was coming off as sad before… _ “Well, I’m workin’ on a new project an’ all. I’m excited.”

Jesse could handwave it all he wanted, but he knew it boiled down to him  _ liking _ Hanzo.

“I’m glad you’re happier, Jess. You know I worry.” Fareeha’s voice was echoing a little and she sounded like she was further from the phone than before.

_ Must be on speaker. _ Not that Jesse really minded.

“I know, but I’m doin’ alright. You don’t have to worry ‘bout little ‘ol me.” Though he knew that those words wouldn’t really make Fareeha’s worry go away. If anything, saying things like that made her worry  _ more _ . 

“Ah, you know I hate when you try to pretend everything’s okay.” She snorted and Jesse imagined she was rolling her eyes. “Probably won’t see you before I head out, so have fun and keep safe.”

“You too, Reeha. No wild parties on the company’s dime.” Jesse deadpanned.

“But I have such a great rager planned!” Fareeha snickered. “Sex, drugs, and rock and roll.” 

There was a quiet moment between the two before they burst out laughing. Jesse wrapped one arm around his waist as he bent over from the force of his laughs. Hearing Fareeha say that was just…

Adorable.

“Aw, Reeha, try to stay up until 10. An’ have safe travels.” Jesse very nearly felt his eyes watering from laughter. A few more words were exchanged, but the call ended and Jesse was still laughing a little. He shook his head and tucked his phone back into his jeans. 

He knew that Fareeha was right - he was happier than he had been in previous months. He knew the reasons why too.

But Jesse shook those thoughts away and walked into the observatory. The door chimed, but Hanzo didn’t rush in to greet him this time. That was odd in itself - even after several visits Hanzo was cautious to be there to greet Jesse quickly. He said it was polite. 

Jesse looked around - no signs of Hanzo.

Weird.

It was several minutes before Hanzo wandered out into the lobby - his hair was mussed and his clothes rumpled. It almost looked like he was in pajamas.  _ Cute. _ There were dark circles ringing his eyes - it looked like he’d been awake for a good three days at this point. It was so different from how Hanzo usually looked that Jesse was just caught off guard. Hanzo rubbed the back of his neck as his eyes finally settled on Jesse.

“Uh...sorry. Didn’t mean to keep you waiting…” Hanzo mumbled before yawning. “I was caught up in some work the past couple days...didn’t realize I was still caught up in it…?” 

Jesse tilted his head and felt his heart speed up a tiny bit. Sure, he thought Hanzo was attractive as hell when he was all cleaned up and put together. But seeing him like this - relaxed and almost caught off guard - was a damn treat. It was like seeing the  _ real _ Hanzo for the first time. 

“Not a problem. Do you need to reschedule?” Jesse didn’t want to head home, he was excited to be here. But Hanzo looked dead on his feet. He didn’t want Hanzo to push through and make himself sick or something like that…

“No, no…” Hanzo shook his head and offered a tired smile. “I’m fine.” 

Jesse wasn’t sure he completely believed Hanzo when he said he was okay, but he was an adult and could make his own choices. 

Plus…

With the outline almost done...if they canceled, Jesse wasn’t entirely sure that he’d be able to justify coming out here again. At least for work related stuff...though he wasn’t entirely sure he  _ could _ come out here for personal business. They were friends, but he didn’t know if that meant he could just show up…

“Well...then how about we head in?” Jesse smiled and took a few steps closer. “Have a bite to eat while we watch the stars?”

With that, the two of them walked into the observatory.

It was a little messier than the last time that Jesse was there - it was very clear that Hanzo had been holed up and doing a ton of work. Jesse almost felt a little bad intruding. But it was probably good that he had, it meant that Hanzo was actually going to take a break for a bit. 

If Jesse wasn’t there, he was fairly sure that Hanzo would just keep  _ working. _

Jesse was the same way, so he couldn’t really fault Hanzo.

“Sorry for the mess…” Hanzo brushed some of the loose hair away from his face. “Like I said…”

“You’ve been busy.” Jesse nodded. “No worries, sweetheart.”

Oops, that pet name slipped out.

Jesse almost felt like he’d stepped over the line, but the faint flush on Hanzo’s cheeks and the little smile on lips made that feeling disappear. Plus, Hanzo was damn cute when he was blushing like that…

Dinner was just simple snacks, but it didn’t matter that it was basically just cheese and crackers. What mattered was the company Jesse was sharing it with, the conversation that they were having, how beautiful the stars were.

Everything was perfect.

It felt like a date.

But Jesse knew it  _ wasn’t _ a date. 

But it really, really felt like one.

Jesse looked over at Hanzo - he was tinkering with the telescope. There was light in his eyes, a smile on face. He just looked  _ beautiful _ . And Jesse didn’t want this to end. He didn’t want to stop seeing Hanzo.

He wanted more.

“Hey Hanzo…” Jesse started talking before he could stop himself. “...uh...wanna go out at some point? On a date.”

_ Holy shit did I just ask him out on a date?  _ Jesse felt his pulse start racing and his chest clench. Asking Hanzo out like that was so unprofessional and so impulsive that he almost couldn’t believe he actually did that…

Jesse’s eyes drifted to Hanzo, to check his body language, to see how he was reacting… Hanzo just seemed  _ frozen. _ His eyes were wide and it looked like he’d stopped breathing…

_ Shit. I really fucked this up, didn’t I? _

“Uh, I mean…” Jesse laughed nervously. “I...uh…”  _ What do I say to fix this…? Is there anything I can say to fix this…? Did I mess everything up…? _

“I would love to go on a date with you, Jesse.” 

_ Wait what? _

Jesse stared at him for a few moments, it felt like the air around them was frozen, like he couldn’t get a full lung of air. But Jesse swore that Hanzo just said he wanted to go on a date with him.

“Pardon?” 

_ Wow, good job, McCree. That was real articulate. _

Hanzo smiled, so warm and beautiful. “I want to go on a date with you, Jesse.”

_ Oh my god this is real. _

 

* * *

  
  


Hanzo felt like he couldn’t do this. He couldn’t go meet up with Jesse outside the observatory. He wasn’t brave enough to do this, he was going to fuck it up and wind up embarrassing himself. He was certain of it. 

Yet here he was driving out to the restaurant they’d chosen even though he felt like he was having an anxiety attack. Maybe he  _ was _ having an anxiety attack. Hanzo didn’t want to feel like this, but it was so long since he’d been on a  _ date _ of all things. He couldn’t help it.

Jesse insisted that it was a casual date, that Hanzo didn’t need to fuss...but Hanzo had spent most of the day trying to make sure he looked perfect. Genji had called him to talk him down and convince him that everything was fine.

Twice.

Hanzo pulled into the parking lot and exhaled softly. There was no reason to panic. This was just a date. And it was with  _ Jesse _ . Jesse was sweet and Hanzo was comfortable around Jesse…

He shouldn’t be so nervous about this. 

Hanzo smoothed his hands down his thighs before getting out of the car. But he froze when it was time to walk up to the restaurant. 

_ Oh my god I’m going to fuck this up… _

He jumped when his phone rang and felt his pulse start racing. Again. Hanzo only relaxed minutely when he saw that it was Genji calling. Again. 

He picked it up and answered. “Hello.”

“Anija. I know you’re freaking out. You can do this. You deserve something nice.”

Another pep talk.

_ Wow, I really do suck at this…this is the third time Genji’s called to try to get me to calm the fuck down. _

“I’m going to mess it up.” Hanzo’s voice was tight when he managed to speak. Thank goodness he was early.  _ Thank you, anxiety, for making me be perpetually early. _ ”I always mess things up.”

Genji scoffed. “You do not mess everything up. You’ve constantly exceeded everyone’s expectations. You graduated college, you have a Ph.D., you own an observatory. You’ve created a life for yourself.” His voice was firm, but still gentle. “That sounds like you’re succeeding.”

Even with Genji saying all of that, Hanzo still felt like he was a failure. He still felt like he was going to mess the date up and completely screw up his friendship with Jesse. And then what would he do…? He certainly hadn’t felt like this about someone in a very long time…

“We both know academics and professional life are not where I fuck up…” Hanzo muttered as he rubbed his face. He could handle academics and his career. People though…

“I’ve seen the two of you together.” Genji’s voice was a good deal softer now. “He adores you, you’re crazy about him. Just be  _ you _ . Let yourself have something nice for once.” He paused. “When was the last time you let yourself have something nice?”

The words shot straight through Hanzo, especially when he realized that he couldn’t remember the last time he did something nice for himself. He was always denying himself the things he wanted and enjoyed. Sure, he let himself play video games but that was more of escapism than anything. It still isolated him from the rest of the world.

“...it’s been quite some time…” Hanzo barely managed to whisper the words. 

“Then let yourself have this. Let yourself be happy, Hanzo.”

A few more words were exchanged, but none of them resonated as much as those two sentences. Hanzo was going to let himself be happy.

With that, he walked toward the restaurant. Hanzo tried to walk tall and be confident, but even after three pep talks, he was nervous. He really didn’t want to mess things up…

“Hey there, gorgeous.” Jesse’s soft, warm voice rang out from behind Hanzo.

Hanzo turned to face him and felt his breath catch at the sight of Jesse. He always looked good, Hanzo loved the cowboy look. It suited Jesse so much. But seeing him cleaned up and without the hat...it was just…

It took his breath away.

“You look  _ incredible _ , Jesse.” Hanzo managed to speak, a smile on his face. “And it is lovely to see you…”

It was lovely to see Jesse in a setting that wasn’t work related. It just made everything feel that much  _ realer _ . It made him feel like his heart was singing.

“And you look gorgeous, Han.” Jesse took Hanzo’s hand, gentle as can be, guided it to his lips, and pressed a soft kiss there. “Ready to have dinner?”

Hanzo was entirely ready to have dinner. He smiled and nodded. “I would love that.”

Hanzo squeezed Jesse’s hand and, with that, the two headed into the restaurant. It was a cute little place, small and cozy. It felt warm and inviting. For once, Hanzo didn’t feel completely uncomfortable while out in a public place. He considered that a victory in itself. The fact that he was comfortable while out on a  _ date _ was damn near a miracle.

He kept expecting the other shoe to drop, that something bad would happen. But everything kept going smoothly, everything was  _ wonderful _ .

Dinner itself was delicious - Hanzo shared some of his meal with Jesse and Jesse shared some of his own in return. The food was very definitely comfort food, a bit heavier than Hanzo  _ usually _ preferred. But it just felt...nice. It was rich and delicious. Jesse said it was like a hug, but in food form. 

Hanzo liked that description.

“I have to admit...when you froze up the other night...when I asked you out…” Jesse laughed a little as he sipped at his drink - a sunset cowboy or something like that. It was a pretty color, it actually looked like a sunset. “I started panicking. Thought I stepped over the line. I just thought we had something special, you know…? I didn’t want it to end.”

Hanzo felt his heart flutter. “...I think we have something...I didn’t want it to end either.”

And yet he hadn’t been able to actually  _ say _ anything. Rather, Hanzo wouldn’t  _ let _ himself say something to Jesse. All because he was afraid…

Rather, all because Hanzo didn’t let himself have things that made him happy. 

“I’m real glad I asked you out, sweetheart. I really like you…” Jesse reached across the table and, cliché as it was, Hanzo swore he felt his heart skip a beat.   _ I really do like him. A lot.  _ Hanzo couldn’t believe that he’d almost let this slip away from him. That he’d almost let himself keep wallowing in his self-imposed misery… “I like how nerdy you are, how your eyes light up when you’re talkin’ about the stars, how beautiful your mind is…”

Those were things that Hanzo had never been praised for. His nerdiness had always been derided by the elders. His academic interests beyond business were considered superfluous. The complexities of his mind were completely dismissed…

But Jesse saw all those bits and pieces of him. He accepted them and  _ liked _ those parts of Hanzo. 

It was enough to render Hanzo speechless.

But he was always a believer in actions speaking louder than words.

Hanzo leaned over the table, reaching out with one hand to trail his fingertips against Jesse’s cheek. “You are the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.” It might not be the description that Jesse heard the most, but it was one that Hanzo wholeheartedly believed. “Creative, brilliant, and so very kind. You light up every space you’re in…” He paused and leaned in a little closer. “And I adore you.” Hanzo only hesitated for another moment, then leaned in and pressed his lips to Jesse’s in a tentative, sweet kiss. One that was both longing and unhurried. 

Hanzo wasn’t entirely sure how long the kiss went on - it could have been seconds or hours or even longer. Time didn’t matter when he was with Jesse, mainly because he just wanted to spend more time with Jesse in general. But Jesse’s lips were warm and soft against his, and so very gentle. 

Eventually, Hanzo pulled back to catch his breath. “I really liked that.”

Jesse chuckled. “I did too. Hell, I loved it. I really like you, sugar.”

“And I like you, Jess.” Hanzo gave an almost coy smile. “...even though you get better  _ Fate/Grand Order _ rolls than me.” 

There was a moment of silence before the two of them burst into laughter. Another kiss followed, just as sweet. Hanzo wasn’t sure he’d ever have enough of those kisses… He just wanted more and more…

“You’re a nerd. I love it.” Jesse patted his cheek and settled back. 

_ I think I could fall in love with him… _

The two fell back into lighthearted conversation. Hanzo had never been particularly good at smalltalk, but...this just felt right. And natural. So easy…

Hanzo never thought he’d find something like this, that he’d find someone who made his heart soar, who made him feel so  _ good _ . He never thought he’d have the  _ chance _ for something like this…

He was so glad he responded to that email.


	5. Epilogue

Jesse stared at the blinking cursor on his computer screen and scowled when he couldn’t summon words. He wanted to write. But right now his brain wasn’t cooperating.

He knew exactly why his mind wasn’t cooperating too.

Jesse gave Hanzo his copy of the new book and was waiting for him to finish reading through it. He knew it was silly to get so distracted right away - he’d only given it to Hanzo about fifteen minutes earlier - but here he was being  _ completely _ distracted.

“Jess?”

Jesse jumped when he heard Hanzo’s voice and very nearly fell off of his chair. “Han? I thought you were settlin’ in to read.”

Not that he minded that Hanzo was back out and chatting with him, but he wanted to know what his boyfriend thought of the book!

“You mentioned me in the acknowledgements section.” Hanzo sounded utterly bewildered.

Jesse wasn’t entirely sure  _ why _ Hanzo sounded so confused. Of course he mentioned his very important science tutor in the acknowledgements - of  _ course _ he’d mention his  _ boyfriend _ in the acknowledgements.

“Of course I did.” Jesse twirled his chair so he was facing Hanzo. He smiled, his cheeks warm as he gazed at his boyfriend. “Without you my book wouldn’t be near as good...you helped me so much.”

Hanzo just stared at him, his lips slightly parted and his eyes wide. “I…”

“Mhm...and you brought me out of a darker time in my life…” Jesse offered a sweeter smile. “I was lonely...isolated...meetin’ you really brought me back to life.” It felt dramatic to say that...but it was true. Jesse had been a hermit. He hadn’t really been doing much other than working...and that wasn’t really a way to live. “So...of course I acknowledged you…”

Hanzo bit his lower lip and Jesse was wondering exactly what was on his mind. His cheeks were flushed and he looked confused, but also touched…

“I love you, Jesse.”

Jesse blinked.  _ Did he just say he loves me? _ “Did you just…”

Hanzo smiled in the warmest, most beautiful way that Jesse ever saw. “Mhm. I love you, Jesse McCree. Meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me...you saved me.”

Much like Hanzo couldn’t wrap his mind around helping Jesse, Jesse couldn’t comprehend the fact that he’d somehow saved Hanzo. But hearing Hanzo say that he loved him…

It made his heart swell and his face flush. “I love you too, Hanny.” He hopped up from his chair and pulled Hanzo into a tight embrace. “I love you so much, sugarpie.” He rubbed his nose against Hanzo’s and lifted him clear off the ground. Hanzo squealed, but not in a distressed way. In that cute, playful way… 

This was just…

This was more than Jesse ever dared to dream of, more than he ever thought he deserved. 

“Thank you for mentioning me, Jess...and thank you for taking a chance on me.” Hanzo whispered before kissing him. The tentativeness and sweetness was still there, but there was a hint of heat there as well.

“Honeybun, I’d pull the stars out of the sky if you wanted me to.” Jesse murmured against Hanzo’s lips. 

It was such a ridiculous statement, but Jesse meant it. He’d do anything for Hanzo. For the first time in ages, Jesse was excited to see what the future brought. He finally felt like he was going somewhere and maybe that was just because he had someone along for the ride…

“Let’s keep the stars in the sky, Jess.” Hanzo chuckled before resting his forehead against Jesse’s. “You’d outshine them all anyway.”

Jesse damn near swooned. “God I love you…”

He leaned in and kissed again, so much slower this time. It was almost lazy, like he had all the time in the world. Jesse smiled into the kiss as he felt his pulse quicken and a thrill of excitement shoot through him. Even after being together for months, kissing Hanzo still got him all flustered. He hoped it always stayed that way. Jesse wanted each kiss to feel like he was falling in love with Hanzo all over again. 

Jesse kept Hanzo in his arms and walked slowly toward the bedroom - their bedroom. He adored that he was building a life with someone he loved so much, that he was still falling more in love with Hanzo each day. Jesse had never felt like this before...so loved and cherished and wanted…

With Hanzo tucked to his chest, Jesse settled in for a nap. He was resting more because of Hanzo, rather, they were getting each other to rest more. To have healthy work habits. It was good for both of them.

But pressed together like this, in such an intimate, yet almost innocent, way...Jesse swore he could feel their hearts beating in tandem. It made him feel even more connected to Hanzo…

Like they really were meant to be together. 

Jesse bit back a chuckle.  _ Like it’s written in the stars... _


End file.
